~*Promise*~

(A/N: Here's the scenario: It's been 5 years after the 2nd sorceress war. Quistis and Seifer were a couple... an ENGAGED couple... But she got infested with a rare epidemic and died. Here's the aftermath...)

Disclaimer: FF8 is not mine (can we say duh?) the only things that are mine are the poem and my character: Shinsei Shugotenshi.

'...'- thoughts

If there was one thing that Shinsei regretted promising, it was promising Quistis Trepe to paint a theme to the poem she had written before she passed away. An eden? A paradise? Such ideas were hard to picture in one's mind, let alone on an easel. She brushed away stray lines of chocolate from her face and continued to contemplate the situation. Quistis Trepe... former fiancee of Seifer Almasy, has died. Due to what? Some rare epidemic. When? Around 3 weeks from yesterday. How'd everyone take it? Not very well, obviously.

She continued to dip and stir her brush into the unused fresh blobs of paint on her palette while staring at the blank easel. No inspiration, no image, just a poem. How could you illustrate words? No, how could you paint words onto a blank easel with no idea on what to illustrate? Real life subjects were her expertise, not creativity. She turned her dark head towards an open room where Seifer Almasy was quietly sleeping. She shook her head in pity.

'He's really taking it hard....' she thought. For the past few weeks, he had confined himself in that room. He refused to come out, refused to eat, refused about every kind of sympathy that was offered.

Around half an hour later, inspiration finally hit her.

After around 4 hours of painting, thinking, redabbing, refilling, and of course refining, she finally completed the unfinished gift that Quistis had left behind. Dropping the palette on the floor, Shinsei marched right up to the room where Seifer had confined himself in. Well, not for long.

*pound pound pound*

"ALMASY!!!" Shinsei shreiked. "Open up you SOB!!! And get your sorry ass out of that damn room before I drag you out!!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE AND BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE!!!"

"MAKE ME!!" No answer to that. Damn it. She pounded on the door again.

"Almasy... OUT!! NOW!! WANT ME TO KICK THAT ASS OUT?!? YOU. KNOW. I. CAN..." Silence. She could understand a day, a few days... maybe even a week or so... but 3 weeks?! Enough was enough. She mustered up her strength and kicked open the door. Yes, kicked open the door. Hyne knew that Seifer Almasy was as stubborn as Bahamut, maybe twice as stubborn, and it would take at least 4 more weeks in the "sentimental" approach.

'Sentimental my ass,' she thought. As expected, she found a miserable Seifer Almasy, face down on the bed, in the same old clothes, in the same old bed, in the same old condition that absolutely pissed her off. Heh...

Now, if you could describe this situation... what would it look like? What would you see? Well, for starters, you would see Shinsei literally dragging Seifer out of bed by his collar and into the room where the painting stood. Seifer would put on a glare that said "BIG. SHARP. POINTY. OBJECTS." And how would Shinsei react? Heh... she wouldn't even notice ^^*. Where were we? Oh yes, the dragging. Yeah, she would drag him over to a chair facing the easel, and turn his stubborn blonde head to face the painting. Harsh, huh?

"LOOK," she commanded.

Like ice being overcome by fire, Seifer's expression melted from deadly to amazed. He willed his legs to move out of the wooden chair and closer to the holy picture. There, in shades of blue and white, was Seifer and Quistis, in a warm embrace, under a gorgeous cerulean sky, in what must've been paradise. Words in Shinsei's sophisticated handwriting were delicately written over the illustration. They were no doubt the words of his beloved Quistis. What did they say? This:

Take me to a paradise,
An eden by the sea,
Of crystalline tears as water,
Where thy soul is clear to me.

Promise me and find,
The true meaning of one's love,
Think of me and carefully,
Seek of what I speak of.

Ride a mighty wind,
For 1000 days and nights,
Gaze at the stars and wonder,
Of thy memories and queer sights.

Take me to a memory,
Which thou and I both share,
Find the moment and understand,
That all this time I've cared.

Understand that my promise,
Filled something that I lacked,
Remember my truth in words,
And keep in full contact.

Fulfill thy quest and destiny,
And return to me right after,
So i can see the change in thee,
No grim face and more laughter.

Ride that mighty wind,
And find me by thy side,
A promise kept by me,
That I will see thee before I died.

Watch me fall into darkness,
As i finally understand,
My eternal place by thee,
In that distant promise land.

Take me to an eden,
Where I will wait for thee and see,
If thou will keep and fulfill thy promise,
And finally return to me.

Find me in that paradise,
After 1000 days and nights,
Where we will spread our wings and fly,
And soar to amazing new heights.

Keep for me a new promise,
In 1000 nights or less,
That you'll take me to an eden,
Where we'll find true happiness.

He stared at the picture, at the words, at Shinsei's creation. No... it was Quistis' creation. Shinsei was just the one that gave the delicate words life. He slowly kneeled in front of the painting, while streams of crystalline and crimson liquid leaked out of his bloodshot eyes.

'I... I understand Quistis... these words that you had left us.' He smiled. 'You'll never will leave us. But you did have a head start on our road to paradise.' He wiped the trail of tears off his cheek. 'Typical you, having a head start on things. I'll meet you there... in due time I swear I will.'

He turned to Shinsei with a warm smile on his face and drew her into an embrace. Finally, his tortured soul could rest in peace. She returned the embrace, patted him on the back, and said "Get a good night's sleep for once, Almasy. Tomorrow is another day."

That night... a dream came to him. A dream of Quistis and him in their eden, their paradise.

~*owari*~

(A/N: OK OK OK... that sucked didn't it?! YES IT DID!!!! *sobs* o well... I really hoped you liked it!! I wrote the poem down last night in a moment of inspiration. From what? A comic- (Clover), a book (Howl's Moving Castle), and a fanfic (Trickle- by Aki. Valek- YOU ROCK CHICK!!!!) the "happiness" thing came from Clover, the 1000 days and nights came from Howl's Moving Castle, and the paradise and Eden came from Trickle. (I'm still crying over that!!!) This turned out to be a LITTLE longer than actually anticipated... but o well ^^. And if any wonderful person out there has read Howl's Moving Castle... did you get the contract? I kinda got it... but some parts are still hazy to me? Please explain...?)